Policemen posted in high-altitude places like Kedarnath will get an allowance of Rs 300 per day apart from their salaries, chief minister Harish Rawat announced on Wednesday.

Policemen posted in high-altitude places like Kedarnath will get an allowance of Rs 300 per day apart from their salaries, chief minister Harish Rawat announced on Wednesday.

Addressing police personnel here after a Police Memorial Day parade, Rawat said Rs 1 crore would be allocated for police sports every year and vigilance sub-centres would be set up in Tehri, Pauri, Almora and Pithoragarh districts.

On the Police Memorial Day or Police Commemoration Day, tributes are paid to policemen who died while discharging duties. The day was first observed in memory of 10 CRPF jawans killed by Chinese troops in Ladakh on October 21, 1959.

The chief minister said police forces in the state were facing the threat of terrorism and Maoism. “We are maintaining utmost vigil at the international borders of Uttarakhand with China and Nepal.”

Rawat said no barriers were put up on highways to ensure smooth passage of around 2 crore pilgrims who came to the state on kanwar yatra this year.

The CM said 28 new police stations would be set up in the state and a woman inspector would be posted in each police station.

The CM paid tributes to the 7 policemen from Uttarakhand who laid down their lives in the line of duty in 2014. The policemen were deputy superintendent of police Mahipal Singh, sub-inspector Devi Prasad Bahuguna, head constable Manoj Rawat, constable Harendra Singh, constable Anup Singh, constable Dinesh Negi and constable Prakash Chandra.

“Family members of the martyred policemen would be given the utmost care,” Rawat said.

Others present on the Police Memorial Day function at Police Lines included home minister Pritam Singh, sports and forest minister Dinesh Aggarwal, director general of police BS Sidhu and principal secretary Umakant Panwar.